Last summer, as I entered Mexico City, the first tag that caught my eye was from 10Foot. The previous summer, I had seen 10Foot’s work on my way to New York City, and it was also present during my daily coffee runs in London. This level of globally recognized yet comfortably familiar fame is rarely achieved.

Cultural criminologist Erik Hannerz notes that fame in graffiti is often perceived as a competitive individual pursuit, with prolific artists like 10Foot, TOX, and Fume either celebrated or demonized for their visible claims over urban surfaces. However, Hannerz argues that this individualistic perspective overlooks the true essence of graffiti:

“The problem is that fame is assumed to be a highly individual effort, rather than a collective one… This stress on instrumentality and the competitive element takes away the passion and the fun. To be sure [writers] note that graffiti involves a competition for space, for visibility. But it is a game you play to play, not to win. What matters more… is friendship, creativity, fun, thrill, and the collective.

10Foot, TOX, and Fume’s exhibition, Long Dark Tunnel, highlights this often-overlooked playful and collective aspect of graffiti culture. It is a multi-generational show that pays homage to the longstanding DDS crew, featuring a tribute to Robbo (1969-2014) surrounded by everyday objects like football scarves and spray cans, showcasing a level of detail and respect that is often missing from commercial graffiti exhibitions.

Before the exhibition opened, its location was a well-kept secret, leading to speculation about whether it would be in an abandoned warehouse or a hidden underground station. Ultimately, it was located at Arts ARKADE, near Piccadilly Circus station.

This venue is unique for central London, as it is not a pristine white cube; every surface has been painted or tagged. From the entrance, hand-sprayed tiles echo the colors of Piccadilly Circus, leading to an upper level filled with irregularly sized brown tunnel bricks. The walls are adorned with painted mushrooms and creatures, while an angry fox seems poised to attack a British Transport Police motion detector.

As visitors ascend the escalator, they encounter a series of framed posters at regular intervals, alongside various items borrowed from the TFL, giving the space an affectionate yet illicit feel. The main gallery features a life-sized replica of a graffiti-covered underground train, and the exhibition title, Long Dark Tunnel, references both London’s underground tunnels and the track “Valley of the Shadows” by Origin Unknown.

Despite its location in bustling Piccadilly Circus, Long Dark Tunnel maintains an authenticity in showcasing graffiti’s subcultural practices, a rarity in gallery settings. Since the 1980s, white cube galleries have been criticized for stripping graffiti of its wild, anarchic nature, turning it into something sterile and inauthentic. Curatorial strategies often include process videos or site-specific photography, but these tend to be top-down approaches.

The strength of Long Dark Tunnel lies in its intricate layering of references throughout the exhibit. Engaging with the details allows visitors to feel part of the experience, although many attendees, especially those visiting on opening night, might miss the deeper nuances.

Isn’t this reflective of graffiti itself? Visible signs that everyone can see but not everyone can interpret?

For instance, 10Foot’s A406 zine evokes a sense of familiarity, as its text mirrors the audio from his segment in the exhibition. The text offers a more contemplative entry point than the audio, which features a robotic train announcer interspersed with sounds of gravel crunching and train doors opening. Unfortunately, this attention to detail was somewhat lost amidst the crowd on opening night.

10Foot’s pieces cleverly twist British racing green motorway signs, replacing destinations with mundane choices like “beans and cheese?” These experiential works are meant to be enjoyed in conjunction with the immersive audio environment. The full audio file is available online.

TOX’s work is characterized by a contained color palette, drawing from the hues of London’s underground lines. His pieces reflect the once luxurious yet now worn interiors of the trains, capturing the slow decay and relentless energy of the transit network.

At first glance, Fume’s works may resemble traditional outsider graffiti canvases, but they also represent a significant multimodal evolution. Fume incorporates actual materials from the underground, such as subway tunnel dust, evoking the distinct scent familiar to anyone who has navigated the London underground.

Fume’s pieces also reenact a notable moment in London’s graffiti history, specifically DDS’s Christmas 2020 takeover of Oxford Circus tube station, a prime opportunity for graffiti artists when the stations are deserted.

Beyond its layered subcultural references, Long Dark Tunnel emphasizes the practice of subcultural ethics. It resists commodification, maintaining the artists’ integrity as a collective even in a central London exhibition. During launch week, 10Foot took over The Big Issue, featuring curated content including an interview with Banksy and iconic pieces from Fume and Bas DDS. This edition became the best-selling Big Issue ever, with no commercial ads included, and proceeds supporting production costs without corporate influence.

The meticulous attention to detail extends to the pricing of merchandise. For example, 10Foot’s A406 zine is priced at £10.10, while the online A406 book costs £13.12. The Regina vs. TOX zine is priced at £20.25, a nod to significant dates. This booklet includes legal records detailing TOX’s charges for graffiti, alongside a concealed color centerfold.

In TOX’s words, these charges range from “nine prison sentences for high-value criminal damage to a month in HMP Wandsworth for failing to possess a £3 train ticket.”

The exhibition’s simple yet elegant black poster is priced at £16.49, potentially referencing the year 1649, a pivotal moment in the struggle for freedom of expression. The Levellers, a political movement advocating for democratic ideals, faced imprisonment and execution during this time, leaving a lasting legacy through unauthorized self-printed materials and graffiti that endures today.

Just don’t flip it.

Text by Dr. Susan Hansen for Juxtapoz. Read our feature on 10FOOT, TOX and FUME from our Winter issue here. All photography by Si Mitchell.

Juxtapoz Magazine Source: https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/magazine/mind-the-gap-10foot-tox-and-fume-s-long-dark-tunnel/ Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine is a magazine created in 1994 by a group of artists and art collectors including Robert Williams, Fausto Vitello, C.R. Stecyk III, Greg Escalante, and Eric Swenson to both help define and celebrate urban alternative and underground contemporary art.